Was it really the shoes?
One day after being asked to change his tennis shoes for not comforming to the All England Club's all-white policy, Roger Federer bowed out in the second round at Wimbledon on Wednesday. The record holder for Grand Slams won (17) and Wimbledon titles (T-7, Sampras) will spend the rest of The Fortnight watching from home. With Rafael Nadal losing just one day earlier, some are wondering if this is the end for tennis' iconic duo.
In a stunning political move, Australian prime minister Julia Gillard was ousted from her position this week by Kevin Rudd - the man for whom Gillard took over just three years ago. What this means for the nation's general election later in the year is to be seen. Gillard, however, must certainly feel shortchanged. Her stint length pales in comparison to other female prime ministers of the past, including the longest-serving total, Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, who governed Sri Lanka for more than 16 years across three separate appointments.
Social media has long since taken over our existence, but for some people it's become too much. One of those people is American graduate student Scott Garner. He's developed an anti-social media app, which lets you know where your friends won't be if you'd just like to live your life in peace and quiet. We're guessing he won't be trying to break Ndamukong Suh's record of 1,935 people for the most attendees at a Tweetup anytime soon.
Astronomers have discovered a new batch of seven planets some 22 light years away -- three of which could potentially host life. While we wait for an apartment complex to go up there so we can escape overcrowded Manhattan, we're reminded how just less than two years ago, the first Earth-like extrasolar planet was discovered: Kepler 22-b, sitting 600 light years away.
Lastly, back on terra firma, check out these crazy satellite timelapses of the growth of various spots on Earth the last 30 years. From Dubai to Las Vegas to Shanghai, three decades goes by in the link of an eye. Some suggestions to manually search for: Dhaka, Bangladesh, which this year was named the most densely populated city, with 44,500 citizens per square kilometer; and Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, home to the largest permanent light and sound show with more than 2,000 lighting fixtures across 33 buildings.
